Crushing mill



Dec. 8, 1931. G. VILLA 1,835,192

CRUSHING MILL Filed April 18, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l ZIM/vento@ 11"-f-IV-f De.s, 1931. GVILLA Y 1,835,192

CRUSHING MILL Filed April :18, 1929 5 Sheets-sheet 2 ya@ @WMM fitter/nu Dec.'8, 1931.

G. VILLA GRUSHING MLLL Filed April 18, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet Patented Dec. 8, 1931 i 1 UNITED FSTATES GABRIEL VILLA, OF BOGOTA, COLOMBIA ORSHING MILL Application mea April 1a,

j This invention'relates tomills and while capable of general use; the'present invention ils-directed more particularly to aA mill 'for crushing-and 'extracting `the juice `from sugar cane. Y i v Mills of this character generally involve a plurality of `:rolls carried on-shai'ts that are mounted in suitable bearings and adjustable toward `and from each other. Due tothe eX- tremely heavy pressureY required for the crushing of the cane, excessive stresses are imposed on thebearings which cause rapid Wear and ineicientoperation of the machine.

These machines, being operated rin localities where the atmosphere is hot and humid; and the nature ofthematerial handled being of an acid charactenprovides a. problem :of lubrication and' eiiicientoperation of the-machine of a most serious character. l

I It is the primary object of the 'present invention to provide amill lwhereinthe shafts that carry the crushing rollers shallbe nonrotatably mounted Vand which may be easily and quickly 'adjustedfor the desired pressure.

Another object is toprovide a mill wherein the crushing rolls shall be j ournaled on overj size bearings that` are completely enclosed 'so that the bearingin addition to being ample in size to withstand the enormous stresses imj necessary.

`posed thereon by the crushing rolls, shall also be sealed against the juices and foreign materials passing through the mill.. I j,

A further, object is to provide a mill of this general character which shall be constructed in such manner that inexperienced operators may easily and quickly` adjust any of thevrolls or replace them if such becomes combination', all of which will be i'ully'de-V scribedv hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.` i' `Y 1929. seriai 110.356,181. j

vIn the drawingsaccompanying and forming a part of this application, Fig. 1 is aside elevation of a'machineconstructed in accordancewithmy invention;4 Fig. '2 is a top plan view thereof; v Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional .view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l; v -K Fig. 4; is a longitudinal@` sectional view through oneof'the idler rolls; and

Fig. 5 isl a fragmentary detail of the rollers 00 showing an enlarged view of the projections thereon.- j A mill constructedinaccordance with Vmy 1 invention comprises` al base 1,1 substantially I oblong .in plan view and which* is formed with a depression 2 defining a,V receptacle for the juices that are pressed `from' the cane. One side of this base is fitted with adischlarge spout 3 so that the vjuices may 'drain :from the depression. Rising from opposite sides of :7o the base are plates 4 which Vserveas supports for the crushingirolls and associatedvparts. A pairof spaced horizontally disposed idler roll shafts 5 extend between the platest, and eachshaftprojects through elongated slots 75 7 in said plateasclearly shown yin Fig. 1. Mounted on each shaft in" spaced relationA are a pair of ball bearings 8 Vwhich are disposed in recesses 9 formed in each end of: the idler Y roll. As shown particularly in- Fig. 4,e'ach ia0 idler roll 6 is formedwith a hollow central portion and thev aforementionedrecesses 9 which receive the-ball bearings and alsofsuitn able spacing collars '10.` The bearings each engage ashoulder 11 in the roll anda spacing 1v85 collar 10 is interposed between each bearing andits respective side plate. `Each idlery roll isprovided with a plurality of circumferentiallydisposed grooves 12 and projections 13 whichpcooperate with longitudinally disposed 9b grooves 14 and projections 15 formed on' the driving roller 16 to electively crush the niaterial passingtherethrough. l j j p The outer end portions of each of the idler j lroll Vshafts 5 are provided with horizontally "95 y disposed bores`18 which are adapted to receive horizontally disposed rods 19.* EachV rod 19'is formed with an enlargement QOat its centralportion and the outer ends 'of's'aid Arod are-threaded to'receive adjustingnuts L100 21. The enlargement 20 on .each rod is received between spaced vertically disposed blocks 22 that project from the side plate 4,

and these blocks are preferably formed with horizontally disposed grooves 23 to receive the rod 19.

From the construction thus far described, it will be apparent that each idler roll together with its bearings and spacing collars may be assembled as a unit and then placed 111 position in the machine. The end portions of the shafts 5 being received in the slots 7 of the side frames and the threaded end portions of the rods 19 will pass through the bores 18 in said shafts. By adjusting nuts 21 on the rods 19, the idler rolls may be moved toward each other to increase the pressure on the material passing through the machine, or said rolls may be permitted to be retracted to decrease the pressure onv the material. It will also be noted that the enlargement 20 engaging the blocks 22 permits each roll to be adjusted independently of the other.

Interposed between the idler rolls 6 is a guide member 25 which bridges the gap between these rolls. This member is provided with downwardly turned end portions having elongated apertures 26 therein and through which passes a shaft 27 that is mountedin suitable apertures in `the side plates 4. The guide member 25 is thus free to move vertically and lill the gap between the guide rolls for each adjustment of said rolls.

Journaled above the guide rolls is a driving roll denotedV generally at 30. As shown particularly in Fig. 3, this roller is formed with a hollow central portion and recessed ends, the latter receiving bearings 31 therein. A spacing and sealing collar 32 is also posi tioned in one of said recesses and is interposed between the bearing and side plate 4 and. is keyed to shaft The opposite end recess in the roller receives the hub portion of a gear 34 that is journaled on a shaft 35 which extends through the roller and between the side plates 4. The end of roller 30 and the abutting surface of gear34 are each formed with interengaging projections and depressions denoted generally at 36 to provide a driving connection therebetween.

Meshing with gear 34 is a'drive pinion 37 which is keyed to a drive shaft 38 that is journaled between the side plates 4. This drive shaft projects beyond one of the end plates 4 and is fitted with a pulley 39 or other suitable driving connection.

In order to strengthen the side frames and impart rigidity to the structure as a whole I provide transverse brace rods 40 which extend between the plates 4 and are anchored thereto by nuts 41. rlhese rods also serve to support feed and discharge troughs 42 and 43 respectively.

In operation, the cane or other material is plained above. The horizontal ribs and depressions in feed roller 30 and the circumferential ribs and depressions in the idler rolls serve to thoroughly crush every fiber of the cane passing therebetween. The cane passes between the feed roll 30 and one idler roll, thence across the guide member 25 and out between the feed roll and other idler roll to the discharge trough 43. The juices extracted during the crushing operation drain Yto the depression 2 in the base and are discharged from spout 3 to any suitable receptacle.

The peculiar construction of the-idler and feed rolls renders them readily adjustable by inexperienced persons as it is only necessary toptighten or loosen the nuts 21. F nrthermore, the use of stationary shafts per mits the use of oversized bearings which are capable of withstanding the great stresses imposed thereon and also allows the bearings to be entirely enclosed within the rolls and sealed from contact with the juices. rI`he hollow rolls provide large lubricant reservoirs which allow the bearing to be properly lubricated over an extended period of time and hence require little attention. The construction of the machine permits assembling or disassembling the same in minimum time and by inexperienced persons as the only adjustment required is accomplished by rotating nuts 21. y

From the foregoing it will be clear that one of the advantages inherent to the crush- .ing mil'l of this invention is the possibility of using` a' relatively light frame construction. Heretofore the end frames of crushing mills have necessarily been of extremely sturdy construction and correspondingly heavy in weight because of the fact that the bearings for the crushing rolls were carried directly onthese end members. In contrast to such old forms the bearings are no longer to be mounted on the end frame memliers and the end members merely support stationary axles with consequent reduction in fload, stress and strain. The frame of the machine may thus be of much lighter con-- struction than formerly and with great saving of expense.

That I claim is:

1. A mill of the character set forth comprising a support, a plurality of horizontally disposed parallel shafts nonrotatably mounted' in said support, rolls journaled on said shafts, rods engaging certain of said shafts, and means carried by said rods and engaging said shafts `to adjust the same toward Aand from each other.

2. A mill of the character set forth com prising a support, a pair of horizontally disposed shafts slidably but nonrotatably mounted in said' support, a roll journaled on each of said shafts,and connections between said shafts for adjusting the same toward and from each other. v

3. A mill of the character set forth comprising a support, a pair of horizontally disposed shafts slidably but non-rotatably mounted in said support, a roll j ournalled on each of vsaid shafts, and means interconnecting each of said' shafts for adjusting the same independently toward and from each other.

4f. A mill of the character set` forth comprising a support, a pair of horizontal'lly disposed shafts slidably but non-rotatably mounted in said support, a roll journaled on each of said shafts, a pair of rods arranged in spaced 'relation and interconnecting said shafts, and means carried by said rods and engaging saidshafts for adjusting the same toward and from each other.

5. A miill of the character set forth comprising a support, a pair of horizontally disposed shafts slidably but non-rotatably mounted in said support, a roll'journaled on each of said shafts, bearings interposed between each roll and its respective shaft'and' lying wholly within the roll, and a pair of rods arranged in spaced relation and interconnecting the end portions of said shafts, said interconnection between said rods and shafts including means for adjusting said rolls toward and from each other. j

6. A mill of the character set forth comprising a base, side plates rising from said base and having horizontally disposed slots therein, spaced parallel shafts extending between said side plates and positioned in said slots, means interconnectingsaid'shafts to prevent rotation of the same and for adjusting said' shafts toward and from each other, and a roll journaled on each shaft.

7; A mill of the character set forth comprising a base, side plates rising from said base and having horizontally disposed slots therein, a plurality of shafts carried by said side plates and non-rotatably mounted therein.y a roll journaled on each of said shafts,

certain of said shafts being positioned in said slots, rods interconnecting the last mentioned shafts, means interconnecting 'said rods and side plates to prevent longitudinal movement of said rods, and means for adjusting said shafts along said rods.

8. A mill of the character set forth comprising a base having a recess therein for the reception of liquids, side plates rising from said base and having horizontally disposed slots therein, a pair of shafts carried by said side plates and positioned in said slots, a third shaft non-rotatably mounted ini said side plates and disposed' in operative relation to said pair of shafts, a roller j ournaled on each shaft, bearings interposed between each shaft and its respective roller, said bearings lying GABRIEL VILLA. 

